Tulisa Contostavlos weeps as judge throws drugs case out of court

Former X-Factor judge Tulisa wept today as she walked free from court after her drugs trial collapsed.

The judge threw out the charges against the singer, 26, and said there were “strong grounds to believe” that Sun journalist Mazher Mahmood, known as the Fake Sheikh, had lied on oath at a pre-trial hearing. In a judgment which again places Rupert Murdoch’s tabloids in the spotlight, Judge Alistair McCreath also said there was evidence that Mahmood had tried to “manipulate” a witness.

His comments mean Mahmood could now face a police inquiry and possible charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice. Former N-Dubz star Tulisa, whose real name is Tula Contostavlos, had been charged with being concerned in an £800 cocaine deal with her friend Mike GLC. The rapper, whose real name is Michael Coombs, had pleaded guilty last week to supplying 13 grams of the drug to Mahmood at the Dorchester Hotel — but his plea has now been quashed and he also walked free.

Today’s humiliating outcome has left the taxpayer with a huge legal bill and heaped pressure on Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service to justify their faith in the “Fake Sheikh”.

On the sixth day of the trial, the judge told the Southwark crown court jury he had stopped the case because of the “improper conduct” of Mahmood which had “tainted the integrity of the court”.

9/14
Tulisa on trial

10/14
Tulisa on trial

11/14
Tulisa on trial

Tulisa has pleaded not guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine

12/14
Tulisa on trial

Tulisa arrives at Southwark Crown Court fpor a pre-trial hearing

13/14
Tulisa on trial

The singer denied the drugs charge (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)

14/14
Tulisa on trial

The singer stood trial after a newspaper exposé

Jurors had heard how Mahmood had posed as Hollywood film producer Sammy Khan to trap Tulisa. He dangled the bait of a bogus £3 million film contract to star with Leonardo DiCaprio. He secretly taped and filmed meetings in which she claimed to have had a drugs past and could arrange “white sweets”, meaning cocaine, for him.

Eventually her friend Coombs delivered the cocaine hidden in his sock to Mahmood at the Dorchester and the defendants were arrested.

However, the court heard that Tulisa said she had told Mahmood’s chauffeur, Alan Smith, that she was anti-drugs because a family member had had a problem. Smith made a statement supporting the claim which he later retracted.

In a pre-trial hearing Mahmood told the judge that he had no knowledge of Smith’s statement — but during the trial Mahmood was “entirely inconsistent” and claimed he had seen the statement on email. The judge said: “There are strong grounds for believing that Mahmood told me lies when he gave evidence (in the pre-trial hearing).

“There are also strong grounds for believing that the underlying purpose of these lies was to conceal the fact he had been manipulating the evidence in this case by getting Smith to change his account.”

As she left the dock Tulisa appeared ecstatic, punching the air before crying. Speaking outside court, she said: “I have never been involved in either taking or dealing cocaine.”

She continued: “I have never been involved in either taking or dealing cocaine. This whole case was a horrific and disgusting entrapment by Mazher Mahmood and the Sun on Sunday newspaper.

“Mahmood has now been exposed by my lawyers as lying to the judge and jury. These lies were told to stop crucial evidence going before the jury. This evidence showed that I told Mahmood’s long-standing driver that I disapproved of drugs - which is the truth.”

She added: “Thankfully the lies have been uncovered and justice has been done.

“They targeted me when things were going badly for me and showed no mercy."